New study says Alzheimer's deaths on a par with cancer

Thursday

Mar 6, 2014 at 12:01 AM

A new study says there were more than 500,000 deaths in 2010 due to Alzheimer's disease. That is six times the number reported by the federal government. The new number puts Alzheimer's on nearly on a par with cancer.

Sue Scheible The Patriot Ledger @sues_ledger

WASHINGTON, DC – The medical journal Neurology has published a groundbreaking study from researchers at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center in Chicago that attributes more than 500,000 deaths in 2010 to Alzheimer’s disease.

That is six times the number reported by the federal Centers for Disease Control. The journal is published by the American Academy of Neurology and is considered a leading peer-reviewed publication

The study’s findings place Alzheimer’s nearly on par with cancer as the second most deadly disease in America.

Despite this, Alzheimer’s receives a mere fraction of the research funding dedicated to cancer, which receives $5.7 billion annually compared to Alzheimer’s $550 million in funding.

The study comes just days after the Director of the National Institute on Aging reported to the Administration’s Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care, and Services that at the current level of funding, the United States would not reach its commitment to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s by 2025.

Us Against Alzheimer's has more information about the study and reaction to it on its web site.